The more things change, the more they stay the same

Lauren Atkinson

At the conclusion of Round 3 in William Buck Premier Women’s, two teams remain undefeated, while two teams are yet to secure a win.

Caulfield Grammarians proved too strong for Collegians, coming out 16-point victors at Glen Huntly Oval.

It was evenly fought in the first half, with the two sides taking it in turns to kick the first four goals of the game. The third term was scrappy, with only a sprinkling of behinds added to the scoreboard, leaving Caulfield trailing by just a point at the last break.

With the game on the line, it was Caulfield who proved hungrier, storming home with three straight goals to steal the win. Sophie Highnam carried her team to victory, kicking two goals in the first ten minutes of the quarter to earn the lead for the Grammarians, with Chloe O’Malley subsequently kicking the sealer.

Kate McCarthy worked the wing with pace and experience all day, while Isla Mottram stood up in defence when it mattered most. Caulfield have had a compelling start to the season under the guidance of first-year coach, Danielle Distefano, showing they have the self-belief to get over the line in close encounters.

Over at TH King Oval, it was certainly a proud day for St Kevins who trumped Kew by 32-points in the Grand Final rematch. St Kevins dominated play in the first half, scoring 27 points to Kew’s single behind. It was only in the final term where Kew was able to match it with St Kevins, with both sides registering nine points.

Jessica Joyce and Zara Guss were standout for St Kevins, while Sarah Cameron had her best game of the season so far, finishing with three goals.

In a disappointing result for Kew, Dakota Villiva was the only goal scorer, while Catia Cococcia earned the top praise of the coaches.

For a second consecutive week, Old Scotch kept their opponent goalless, downing Coburg by 43 points at Camberwell Sportsground.

The Stars were able to consistently extend their lead, scoring two goals in each of the first three quarters, and another in the final term, whilst only conceding six points across the whole game.

There is no doubt that Old Scotch have a star-studded list of players, highlighted this week by the performances of a talented trio of VFLW-listed players in Annie Muir, Emma Robins and Bella Gray.

Although unable to see their brave efforts rewarded on the scoreboard, Chloe Perrett and Zoe Attard contributed significantly for Coburg.

The woes continued for Monash Blues, who lost to West Brunswick by 27 points. It was a one-sided affair at Frearson Oval, with Monash only hitting the scoreboard in the final term to take their final tally to two points.

West Brunswick had players impress across each line, with Taylah Watson winning the contested footy through the midfield, Ella Banfield acting as general of the backline and Brighdin Walsh leading the forwards with two goals.

One silver lining for Monash this season is the form of Alicia Myers, who has been a presence in each of their games so far. Chloe Gibson also deserves mention for her effort and endeavour throughout this week’s loss.

The final match of the round saw Old Yarra Cobras travel to Melbourne University Oval where they beat Melbourne University by 15 points, earning their first back-to-back win in the William Buck Premier competition.

The Cobras got off to a sizzling start, with Cecilia Baldassarre kicking a lovely snap goal within the first minute of play. Old Yarra continued to control the game in the first half, taking a 20-point lead into the half time break.

Again, Melbourne University conceded a goal in the opening minutes of the half, taking the margin out to 26 points. Credit to the home side, they took things up a notch after this wake-up call, reducing the deficit to 15 points by the final siren.

Victoria Holt was reliable as ever in defence for Melbourne University, with Georgia Nicholas also impressing for the home side with two majors.

For the Cobras, Eloise Newman and Alyssa Bernardo played important roles in their side’s triumph, while Cecilia Baldassarre found herself busy in front of goals again, bagging three majors.

Round 4 looks set to shape the ladder, with a fixture full of exciting contests.

Caulfield will host St Kevins in the round opener, with both teams coming off convincing wins in Round 3. Though Caulfield have had a decent start to the year with two wins already under their belt, St Kevins are a different beast, and it will require Caulfield to take things up a level if they want to compete.

Meanwhile, Kew will be looking to bounce back from their Round 3 loss, but they don’t come up against an easy target in Old Scotch, who will be looking to continue their undefeated streak.

The next match up will see Collegians host Old Yarra Cobras at Harry Trott Oval. After making finals last year, Collegians have not got off to the start they would have hoped for and will be looking to make things right against the competition newcomers.

West Brunswick and Coburg will battle it out to get an important second win on the board, with West Brunswick perhaps having an extra bit of fire in their belly after losing two tight contests with Coburg in 2023.

Finally, bottom two sides Monash Blues and Melbourne University will meet for the clash of the universities, with both teams still searching for their first win of the year. Which team will be the first to get the four points?